Davis: Continuous progress key to Goodyear Gadsden plant's future

Published: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 11:36 p.m.

Jim Davis said he believes the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden is in a better position to meet challenges than when he took over as its manager six years ago, but it must continue to improve.

Davis retired Monday from Goodyear after 41 years with the company. He discussed the plant’s progress during his time there, and its future, in an interview last week.

He oversaw the planning and implementation of a $125 million modernization project announced in 2007, the “finishing touches” of which he said were completed in 2012.

The plant employed 1,246 prior to the project and now employs 1,597, according to Communications Manager Jackie Brehm Edmondson.

Company officials in announcing the modernization project didn’t promise any additional jobs, saying the investment was more about job retention. However, employment at the plant has seen an increase of 28 percent since 2007.

Davis said with retirements and new hires, the plant’s labor force demographics have changed — that there are as many people working who were hired after 2007 than before.

“That’s a huge change,” he said, noting that another big difference is the average age of the plant’s workforce, 42.

Davis said the plant now has more technical and managerial depth, adding, “We’re much better now than we were in 2007.”

He said the plant has done a good job of “building our bench strength” and “developing from within.”

The modernization’s intent also was to enable the Gadsden plant to produce more high value-added tires, and according to Davis it certainly has done that.

“It has enabled the plant to produce a broader range of the Goodyear product portfolio and more high value tires for what we call target market segments,” he said. “The modernization is about equipment and processes, but equipment and processes without people are just equipment and processes.

“To be able to leverage that, you’ve got to have the right people in the right place, the training, the education, the skill sets to obtain ... what you had initially planned to get from the investment.”

Davis said Goodyear constantly evaluates the marketplace to determine where investments are needed, and, “I don’t see any large-scale investment on the table at this time for this factory. We’re coming off of a pretty big chunk of investment.”

He said the plant has made strides in reducing operating costs — an area he said needs to be a constant focus — but he’s most proud of improvements in the customer service area. That includes the plant’s order fill rates, on-time delivery, product quality measures, new product introductions and being a reliable supplier.

Davis said those areas have shown “significant improvement,” adding, “All of those things are what I am most proud of, and they basically define a plant and a plant’s workforce.”

Davis has conducted small group meetings throughout the years and has made an effort to meet with every employee in the plant.

“I constantly tell our team members each day brings a new opportunity, and companies do not close profitable businesses,” he said, “and our job each day is to present Goodyear with a compelling case that Gadsden is the plant to invest in and grow.”

Davis said he doesn’t have a crystal ball, but the Gadsden plant’s future will be determined by its performance and marketplace needs.

“The plant has got to continue to get better; progress must be continuous,” he added. “I’m optimistic about the future, but the reality factor is you’ve got to be cost-competitive, and that is the critical issue — to continue to work to become more and more and more cost-competitive. I think all manufacturing faces that.”

Davis’ replacement, Mark McLenithan, on Tuesday became the plant’s director of manufacturing, the new title for manager. He came to Goodyear from Nestlé in Laurel, Md.

Davis said McLenithan had spent the last six weeks working in different areas of the plant to learn about various manufacturing processes.

“I feel he’s a very balanced leader,” he said. “He has a strong manufacturing background.

“I think he’ll do a good job of continuing the progress we’ve made and taking the plant to the next level.”

<p>Jim Davis said he believes the <a href="http://www.gadsdentimes.com/goodyear"><b>Goodyear</b></a> Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden is in a better position to meet challenges than when he took over as its manager six years ago, but it must continue to improve.</p><p>Davis retired Monday from Goodyear after 41 years with the company. He discussed the plant's progress during his time there, and its future, in an interview last week.</p><p>He oversaw the planning and implementation of a $125 million modernization project announced in 2007, the “finishing touches” of which he said were completed in 2012.</p><p>The plant employed 1,246 prior to the project and now employs 1,597, according to Communications Manager Jackie Brehm Edmondson.</p><p>Company officials in announcing the modernization project didn't promise any additional jobs, saying the investment was more about job retention. However, employment at the plant has seen an increase of 28 percent since 2007.</p><p>Davis said with retirements and new hires, the plant's labor force demographics have changed — that there are as many people working who were hired after 2007 than before.</p><p>“That's a huge change,” he said, noting that another big difference is the average age of the plant's workforce, 42.</p><p>Davis said the plant now has more technical and managerial depth, adding, “We're much better now than we were in 2007.”</p><p>He said the plant has done a good job of “building our bench strength” and “developing from within.”</p><p>The modernization's intent also was to enable the Gadsden plant to produce more high value-added tires, and according to Davis it certainly has done that.</p><p>“It has enabled the plant to produce a broader range of the Goodyear product portfolio and more high value tires for what we call target market segments,” he said. “The modernization is about equipment and processes, but equipment and processes without people are just equipment and processes.</p><p>“To be able to leverage that, you've got to have the right people in the right place, the training, the education, the skill sets to obtain ... what you had initially planned to get from the investment.”</p><p>Davis said Goodyear constantly evaluates the marketplace to determine where investments are needed, and, “I don't see any large-scale investment on the table at this time for this factory. We're coming off of a pretty big chunk of investment.”</p><p>He said the plant has made strides in reducing operating costs — an area he said needs to be a constant focus — but he's most proud of improvements in the customer service area. That includes the plant's order fill rates, on-time delivery, product quality measures, new product introductions and being a reliable supplier.</p><p>Davis said those areas have shown “significant improvement,” adding, “All of those things are what I am most proud of, and they basically define a plant and a plant's workforce.”</p><p>Davis has conducted small group meetings throughout the years and has made an effort to meet with every employee in the plant. </p><p>“I constantly tell our team members each day brings a new opportunity, and companies do not close profitable businesses,” he said, “and our job each day is to present Goodyear with a compelling case that Gadsden is the plant to invest in and grow.”</p><p>Davis said he doesn't have a crystal ball, but the Gadsden plant's future will be determined by its performance and marketplace needs.</p><p>“The plant has got to continue to get better; progress must be continuous,” he added. “I'm optimistic about the future, but the reality factor is you've got to be cost-competitive, and that is the critical issue — to continue to work to become more and more and more cost-competitive. I think all manufacturing faces that.”</p><p>Davis' replacement, Mark McLenithan, on Tuesday became the plant's director of manufacturing, the new title for manager. He came to Goodyear from Nestlé in Laurel, Md.</p><p>Davis said McLenithan had spent the last six weeks working in different areas of the plant to learn about various manufacturing processes.</p><p>“I feel he's a very balanced leader,” he said. “He has a strong manufacturing background.</p><p>“I think he'll do a good job of continuing the progress we've made and taking the plant to the next level.”</p>